FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/05/13 -- CGI Federal Inc. (CGI), a wholly-owned U.S. operating subsidiary of CGI Group Inc. (NYSE:GIB)(TSX:GIB.A), today announced it has been granted a cloud security Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO) by the Joint Authorization Board (JAB) of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP(SM)). FedRAMP is a U.S. government-wide program that standardizes the approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. The JAB comprises the Chief Information Officers of the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security and the General Services Administration (GSA) who lead the management of the program with the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

FedRAMP uses a "do once, use many times" framework that is expected to reduce government's cost, time, and staff required to conduct redundant agency security assessments of cloud solutions. The program seeks to enable faster adoption of new technology while making procurement more cost-effective through the reuse of assessments and authorizations for cloud solutions.

CGI received the P-ATO as a result of fully documenting and implementing FedRAMP security controls on the company's cloud offerings. In addition, an independent FedRAMP-accredited third party assessment organization audited the implementation to ensure compliance.

"As more government services and data are migrated to cloud environments, FedRAMP's controls will increase agency confidence through the consistent, disciplined application of security practices," said Donna Ryan, President, CGI Federal. "Improving real-time security visibility and transparency of operations between agencies and cloud providers is critical to achieving the benefits of cloud. As one of the first cloud providers to obtain a FedRAMP provisional authorization, we look forward to continuing to ensure agencies have fast, easy access to a range of secure solutions-from consulting to migration and integration of software and applications."

"Since every agency's cloud strategy is different, CGI thinks about cloud holistically," said James Pyon, CGI Vice-President and Cloud Offering Executive. "As the complexity of cloud increases, agencies need increasingly-sophisticated services to knit together their cloud strategies and efforts. We think of our role as a 'trusted connector.' The go-forward FedRAMP process for adding new secure services will enable us to continually expand our offerings so they remain relevant as government requirements evolve."

As a full-service cloud provider for commercial and government organizations globally, CGI's expertise, solutions, and governance help organizations navigate the transition, integration, and ongoing management of the cloud.

CGI's cloud clients include John Hancock, Scotiabank, BMO Financial Group, Chronopost International, Department of Homeland Security, GSA, Environmental Protection Agency, State of Colorado, and state agencies in Wyoming, Alaska, Maine, and North Carolina. CGI is one of three companies awarded positions on both of GSA's government-wide cloud BPAs for Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Email as a Service. In the United Kingdom (UK), CGI was also selected as one of the suppliers for G-Cloud II, the second phase of the UK government's procurement portal, G-Cloud, which is part of a government-wide commitment to the adoption of cloud computing and delivering computing resources. This enables CGI to offer solutions across the four areas G-Cloud II covers, including IaaS, Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and specialist cloud services.

About CGI Federal Inc.

CGI Federal Inc. is a wholly-owned U.S. operating subsidiary of CGI Group Inc., dedicated to partnering with federal agencies to provide solutions for defense, civilian, and intelligence missions. Founded in 1976, CGI Group Inc. is the fifth largest independent information technology and business process services firm in the world. With approximately 71,000 members located in offices and global delivery centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, CGI offers a comprehensive portfolio of services including high-end business and IT consulting, systems integration, application development and maintenance, infrastructure management as well as a wide range of proprietary solutions. Further to the recent acquisition of Logica, CGI's annualized revenue is in excess of C$10 billion, with an estimated order backlog of approximately C$18.3 billion; its shares are listed on the TSX (GIB.A) and the NYSE (GIB) and are included in the FTSE4Good Index. Website: www.cgi.com/usfederal.

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